Budget Amendment ID: FY2018-S3-516
EHS 516
Equitable & Appropriate Health Care Assessments
Ms. L'Italien, Mr. Cyr, Ms. Gobi and Mr. Brady moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting the following new sections:
SECTION X. Section 18 of Chapter 6D (Health Policy Commission) of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following new paragraphs:
The commission, in consultation with the center for health information & analysis and without increasing the total assessment amounts, shall promulgate amendments to the regulations governing payment by acute hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers or surcharge payors for estimated expenses of the commission (958 CMR 9.00) and those governing similar payments for the estimated expenses of CHIA (957 CMR 3.00).
Further, in consultation with the center for health information & analysis and the executive office of health and human services, the commission shall also recommend amendments to the regulations governing Health Safety Net Trust Fund payments and funding (101 CMR 614.00) as described in the following paragraph and that increase by at least $20,000,000 the total assessment for that Fund.
All such amendments to the regulations governing the three assessments described above shall serve the purpose of ensuring that certain large health care market participants in the Commonwealth pay an equitable and appropriate share of these three assessments. Such large health care market participants shall include entities currently doing health care business in the Commonwealth and that contribute to a significant share of the Commonwealth’s total health care expenditures, including business entities researching, selling and/or manufacturing pharmaceutical drugs, large and independent 501(c)(3) non-profit physician organizations with more than 500 physician members, urgent care/limited services clinics, and other appropriate entities as determined by the commission. Notwithstanding the previous sentences, providers of primarily post-acute and/or long term supports and services shall not be subject to these new assessments.
The promulgation of such regulatory amendments shall be completed not later than 180 days after the passage of this Act.
SECTION XX. Section 66 of Chapter 118E of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the following after the first sentence of subsection (b):
“The office shall also shall transfer $20,000,000 annually from the fund to the Community Hospital Reinvestment Trust Fund to provide annual financial support to eligible acute care hospitals, consistent with the terms of section 2TTTT of Chapter 29 of the General Laws.
SECTION XXX. Section 2TTTT of Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended in subsection (c) by deleting the words “at or above 120 per cent of the statewide median relative price” and inserting instead “at or above 100 per cent of the statewide median relative price or who qualify as ‘High Public Payer’ as defined by the center for health information & analysis”.
SECTION XXXX. Section 2TTTT of Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended in subsection (d) by deleting the words “below 120 per cent of the statewide median price” and inserting instead “below 100 per cent of the statewide median price, with proportional and appropriate payments to be allocated for those that qualify as ‘High Public Payer’ as defined by the center for health information & analysis.”